Device for tying shoes

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a footwear fastening structure. The footwear fastening structure is configured such that it is tieably engaged in shoelace holes or eyelets of a shoe or sports shoe so as to fasten the shoe or the sports shoe tightly on a user&#39;s foot when he or she wears the shoe, the footwear fastening structure comprising: a band member formed to have a predetermined length and having a pair of opposed engagement parts respectively formed at both ends thereof; and a pair of opposed pin members coupled to the engagement parts of the band member so as to be inserted into and hookingly fixed to the shoelace holes of the shoe.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a Section 371 National Stage application ofInternational Application No. PCT/KR2014/010413, filed Nov. 3, 2014, thecontents of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a footwear fastening structure. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to footwear fasteningstructure which can be used in replacement of a shoelace used to be tiedto footwear and can eliminate the necessity for knotting a shoelace.

BACKGROUND

In general, a band member tieably engaged in a plurality of shoelaceholes or eyelets formed on footwear such as sports shoes or shoes has acircular or elliptical cross-section and is woven with fabric into apredetermined length.

The multiple shoelace holes or eyelets are formed on an upper portion ofthe footwear in such a manner as to be symmetrically arranged at bothsides of the upper portion.

Thus, the band member is connected in a zigzag pattern while passingthrough the plurality of shoelace holes, and then is lastly tied andknotted.

However, such a conventional band member entails a problem in that afterthe band member is tied and knotted, its knot is easily loosened due toshaking caused by motion of a user's ankle while he or she is walking.

Numerous prior arts have been proposed in an attempt to prevent the bandmember from being easily untied. As one example, Korean Utility ModelLaid-Open Publication No. 96-19744 (hereinafter, referred to as “priorart 1”) discloses a band member that is not easily untied.

The prior art 1, however, encounters a problem in that the shoelacemember has a plurality of resin projections attached to the top andbottom surfaces thereof at its entirety, thus making it difficult tomanufacture and increasing the manufacturing cost.

Besides the above prior art 1, various prior arts have been proposed inan attempt to prevent the band member from being easily loosened. Forexample, Korean Utility Model Registration No. 0451160 (discloses(hereinafter, referred to as “prior art 2”) discloses a device forpreventing a band member from being untied.

The prior art 2 will be described hereinafter. The device of the priorart 2 includes: a shoelace knot loosing-preventive member 21 that issecurely fixed at both ends to the top surface of a shoe tongue 11 of ashoe or footwear in the longitudinal direction of the shoe so as toallow a knot of the band member tightened on the shoe to be brought intoclose contact with the shoe tongue to prevent a knot of the band memberfrom being untied due to motion of a user's ankle; a shoelace fixingmember 22 fixed to the top surface of the shoe tongue, the shoelacefixing member having an insertion groove for allowing the shoelace knotloosing-preventive member to be inserted thereto in a transversedirection and an elastic member for securely fixing the shoelace knotloosing-preventive member inserted into the insertion groove using anelastic force; and a button member 23 coupled to the upper portion ofthe shoelace fixing member so that when the button member is presseddownwardly, the elastic member is pressurized to cause the shoelace knotloosing-preventive member to be released from its fixed state.

However, the prior arts 1 and 2 still involve problems in that since ashoelace knot loosing-preventive structure for tying the band member iscomplicated, the number of the manufacturing processes is increased, andin that it is required that the shoelace should be tieably engaged inall the shoelace holes or eyelets and then be lastly knotted, thusmaking the knotting process inconvenient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve theaforementioned problem occurring in the prior art, and it is an objectof the present invention to provide a footwear fastening structureconfigured such that it can be used in replacement of a shoelace bybeing simply engaged in shoelace holes or eyelets formed on the footwearin a press-fit manner so that the necessity for knotting the shoelace iseliminated, making it possible for a user to rapidly wear the footwear,and a risk of loosening of the shoelace knot is avoided, making it easyfor the user to wear the footwear.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a footwearfastening structure configured such that it is tieably engaged inshoelace holes or eyelets of a shoe or sports shoe so as to fasten theshoe or the sports shoe tightly on a user's foot when he or she wearsthe shoe, the footwear fastening structure including: a band memberformed to have a predetermined length and having a pair of opposedengagement parts respectively formed at both ends thereof, and a pair ofopposed pin members coupled to the engagement parts of the band memberso as to be inserted into and hookingly fixed to the shoelace holes ofthe shoe.

The footwear fastening structure in accordance with the presentinvention as constructed above has the following advantages.

When a user wears shoes or sports shoes, the pin members provided at theband member are fittingly hooked in the shoelace holes of the shoes sothat the band member can be securely fixed to the shoes to prevent theband member from being loosened from the shoes. In addition, thefootwear fastening structure can be fastened to the shoes in a simplemanner so that the band member tying time can be saved and the necessityfor knotting a shoelace can be eliminated unlike the conventional priorart, making it possible for a user to conveniently and rapidly wear theshoes.

In addition, the footwear fastening structure can be manufactured tohave various appearances and sizes, and various colors such as photicand aphotic colors.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above objects, other features and advantages of the presentinvention will become more apparent by describing the preferredembodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a shoe to which a footwearfastening structure according to the present invention is applied;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a footwear fastening structureaccording to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a mounting example of afootwear fastening structure according to a first embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a footwear fastening structureaccording to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a footwear fastening structureaccording to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a front view showing a footwear fastening structure accordingto a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a mounting example of afootwear fastening structure according to a third embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing another example of a pin memberapplied to the present invention;

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing a footwear fasteningstructure according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a mounting example of afootwear fastening structure according to a fourth embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIGS. 11 to 13 are perspective views showing other examples of a bandmember of a footwear fastening structure according to a fourthembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a footwear fastening structureaccording to a fifth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a modification of a footwearfastening structure according to a fifth embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIGS. 16 to 18 are front views showing a footwear fastening structureaccording to a fifth embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 19 and 20 are side views showing an engagement process of afootwear fastening structure according to a fifth embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing a shoe to which a footwearfastening structure according to a sixth embodiment of the presentinvention is applied;

FIG. 22 shows side views of an engagement process of a footwearfastening structure A6-2 according to another example of a sixthembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 23 shows side views of an engagement process of a footwearfastening structure A6-3 according to still another example of a sixthembodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 24 and 25 are perspective views showing a footwear fasteningstructure according to seventh and eighth embodiments of the presentinvention;

FIG. 26 is a side view showing a footwear fastening structure accordingto an eighth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 27 is a top plan view showing a footwear fastening structureaccording to an eighth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 28 is a side cross-sectional view showing a footwear fasteningstructure according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 29 is a bottom view showing a footwear fastening structureaccording to an eighth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 30 is a perspective view showing a shoe to which a footwearfastening structure according to an eighth embodiment of the presentinvention is applied; and

FIGS. 31 and 32 are side cross-sectional views showing an engagementprocess of a footwear fastening structure according to seventh andeighth embodiments of the present invention.

*Explanation on reference numerals of main elements in the drawings * 2:main body 4: stopper unit 100: band member 110: engagement part 112:through-hole 120: narrow portion 200: pin member 210: rod-like body220,220'; head 231: first annular protrusion 232: second annularprotrusion 520: shoelace holes or eyelets 10: band member 11: recess 20:inclined part 30: stopper member 31: stopper 32: fitting stopper 40:grasping part 41: slipping prevention protrusion 50 : reinforcing memberS: shoe H: shoelace tying hole

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Now, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described indetail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The matters definedin the description, such as the detailed construction and elements, arenothing but specific details provided to assist those of ordinary skillin the art in a comprehensive understanding of the invention, and thepresent invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosedhereinafter.

As shown in FIG. 1, a shoe or sports shoe includes a pair of opposedeyelet flaps formed at an upper thereof. A shoe tongue 510 is attachedto the undersides of the eyelet flaps to close a space defined betweenthe eyelet flaps to cover the top side of a user's foot.

In addition, the eyelet flaps include a plurality of pairs of shoelaceholes or eyelets 520 formed therein so as to be opposed to each other.

The shoelace holes 520 are generally coupled with eyelets so that theycan be maintained in a circular shape and are formed to reduce abrasionof the shoelace.

Each of the footwear fastening structures A1, A2 and A3 according to therespective embodiments proposed in the present invention is engaged in apairs of shoelace holes 520 to interconnect the pairs of shoelace holes520. Thus, each of the footwear fastening structures A1, A2 and A3 maybe engaged in plural numbers in a straight-line shape or may be engagedin plural numbers so as to intersect in an X shape.

The footwear fastening structure A1 according to a first embodiment ofthe present invention is configured such that it is tieably engaged inshoelace holes or eyelets of a shoe or sports shoe so as to fasten theshoe or the sports shoe tightly on a user's foot when he or she wearsthe shoe, the footwear fastening structure including: a band member 100formed to have a predetermined length and having a pair of opposedengagement parts 110 respectively formed at both ends thereof, and apair of opposed pin members 200 coupled to the engagement parts 110 ofthe band member 100 so as to be inserted into and hookingly fixed to theshoelace holes 520 of the shoe 500.

The band member 100 is formed to have a predetermined length using amaterial which is flexible and harmful to the human body such as rubberor silicon. The band member 100 can be largely divided into a rod shapeand a strip shape depending on the kind of the shoe.

In other words, an elongated rod-like band member is applied to shoes,and a strip-like band member having a predetermined width is applied tosports shoes.

The band member 100 has an embossed pattern formed on a top surfacethereof to improve a tactile sensation, and has a specific logo printedon the top surface.

In the embodiment proposed in the present invention, the band member 100is formed of a flexible material having elasticity and has a flat stripshape. The band member 10 is downwardly bent at both ends thereof insuch a manner as to be reduced in width toward the engagement parts 110to form narrow portions 120 having a width enough to be inserted intothe shoelace holes 520.

The narrow portion 120 is formed to have a width corresponding to adiameter of the shoelace hole 520, and is preferable formed to havewidth that is equal to or slightly smaller than the diameter of theshoelace hole 520.

Each of the engagement parts 110 is formed in a cylindrical shape whichhas through-holes 112 respectively formed at both ends thereof and athrough-passage formed therein to interconnect the through-holes 112,and the pin member 200 is coupled to the engagement part 110 in such amanner as to pass through the through-holes 112 and the through-passageof the engagement part 110.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the engagement part 110 is formed in astraight-line shape.

In addition, the straight-line shaped engagement part 110 is orientedhorizontally with respect to the ground surface.

In the meantime, as shown in FIG. 4, a footwear fastening structure A2according to a second embodiment of the present invention is configuredsuch that it is tieably engaged in shoelace holes or eyelets 520 of ashoe or sports shoe so as to fasten the shoe or the sports shoe tightlyon a user's foot when he or she wears the shoe, the footwear fasteningstructure including: a band member 100 formed to have a predeterminedlength and having a pair of opposed engagement parts 110 a respectivelyformed at both ends thereof, and a pair of opposed pin members 200coupled to the engagement parts 110 a of the band member 100 so as to beinserted into and hookingly fixed to the shoelace holes 520 of the shoe500. The engagement part 110 a is formed in a curved shape which is bentto have a low curvature.

Accordingly, the pin member 200 a is formed in a curved shape which isbent to have a low curvature.

Thus, the bent engagement parts 110 a are formed at the lower portionsof the both ends of the band member 100.

Meanwhile, the pin member 200 includes a pair of opposed heads 220 and220′ formed at both ends thereof to have a diameter larger than that ofthe through-hole 112, and a rod-like body 210 having a length largerthan that of the engagement part.

The heads 220 and 220′ is preferable formed in any one shape selectedfrom among a spherical shape, a conical shape, and a semi-sphericalshape.

The pin member 200 is coupled to the engagement part 110 of the bandmember 100 in a press-fit manner or a double-shot injection manner. Thedouble-shot injection is an injection molding technique which employs adifference in the hardness and a difference in the setting point basedon the fact that the pin member 200 is formed of a hard plastic materialand the band member 100 is formed of a soft resin material.

Generally, the double-shot injection is performed to fix a hard materialand a soft material by applying an adhesive. The present invention isconfigured such that the pin member 200 can be freely moved to the leftand right through the double-shot injection without applying theadhesive.

In case of the press-fit manner, the heads 220 and 220′ are coupledthrough the through-holes 112 of the engagement part 110, and thus arepreferably formed at front ends thereof in a spherical shape for thesake of facilitation of insertion. The heads 220 and 220′ are preferablyformed at rear ends thereof in a stepped shape so that after the heads220 and 220′ are coupled to the engagement part 110, the pin member 200can be prevented from escaping from the engagement part 110.

The length of the pin member 200, particularly, the length of therod-like body 210 is set to be approximately 1.5 fold larger than alength of the engagement part 110 so that after the pin member 200 iscoupled to the engagement part 110, it can have a spare length enough tobe movable to the left and right.

The rod-like body 210 includes a first annular protrusion 231 and asecond annular protrusion 232 formed on the outer peripheral surfacethereof to correspond to both ends of the engagement part 110 in such amanner as to be spaced apart from each other by a predeterminedinterval.

The first annular protrusion 231 and the second annular protrusion 232must be fittingly inserted into the through-passage of the engagementpart 110. Thus, the cross-section of the first and second annularprotrusions 231 and 232 is formed in any one shape selected from among acircular shape, an elliptical shape, and a rhomboidal shape. Thediameter of the first and second annular protrusions 231 and 232 is setto be slightly larger than the inner diameter of the through-passage ofthe engagement part 110.

A process of fittingly inserting the pin member 200 into the engagementpart 110 and then inserting the pin member 200 into the shoelace holes520 is shown in FIG. 3.

In other words, when the pin member 200 is engaged in the shoelace holes520, one end thereof is first pushingly inserted into one shoelace hole520 by pushing the pin member 200 to one side. The first annularprotrusion 231 is inserted into the through-passage of the engagementpart 110 in a press-fit manner.

Thereafter, the engagement part 110 passes through the shoelace hole 520and then is disposed horizontally in the shoelace hole 520.

Subsequently, the pin member 200 is moved to an opposite side so thatthe pin member 200 is disposed balancedly with respect to the engagementpart 110. In this case, the first annular protrusion 231 escapes fromthe through-passage of the engagement part 110, and the first annularprotrusion 231 and the second annular protrusion 232 are maintained in astate of being close to both ends of the engagement part 110.

In the meantime, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, a footwear fasteningstructure A3 according to a third embodiment of the present invention isconfigured such that it is tieably engaged in shoelace holes or eyelets520 of a shoe or sports shoe so as to fasten the shoe or the sports shoetightly on a user's foot when he or she wears the shoe, the footwearfastening structure including: a band member 100 formed to have apredetermined length and having a pair of opposed engagement parts 110 brespectively formed at both ends thereof, and a pair of opposed pinmembers 200 coupled to the engagement parts 110 b of the band member 100so as to be inserted into and hookingly fixed to the shoelace holes 520of the shoe. The engagement part 110 b is oriented vertically withrespect to the ground surface.

Thus, the pin member 200 b is fittingly coupled to the engagement partin a vertical direction and is moved vertically so that the pin member200 b can be fittingly engaged in the shoelace holes 520.

A method of fittingly engaging the pin member 200 b in the shoelaceholes 520 is the same as in the above-described method, and thus adetailed description thereof will be omitted to avoid redundancy.

The engagement part 110 b is preferably formed in a vertical shape or aslightly inclined oblique shape in consideration of a curvature of thetop side of a user's foot.

In the meantime, FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing another example ofa pin member applied to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8, the pin member 200 c comprises a head 220 c formedat one end thereof to have a diameter larger than that of thethrough-passage 112 c of the engagement part 110 c, a rod-like body 210c having a length larger than that of the engagement part 110 c, and astop element 223 c coupled to the other end thereof.

The stop element 223 c has a through-hole 223-1 formed at the centerthereof and a slit 223-2 opened at one side thereof. The stop element223 c is fittingly coupled around the outer peripheral surface of therod-like body 210 c in a press-fit manner so that the other side of theengagement part 110 c is fixedly supported by the stop element 223 c toprevent the pin member 200 c from escaping from the engagement part 110c.

In addition, the pin member 200 c includes a protrusion 225 c formed atthe other end thereof to have a diameter smaller than that of the head220 c and larger than that of the through-hole 223-1 of the stop element223 c so that the stop element 223 c can be prevented from escaping fromthe pin member 200 c and the pin member 200 c can be easily insertedinto the through-passage 112 c of the engagement part 110 c.

In the meantime, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, in a footwear fasteningstructure A4 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention,the pin member 200 is formed of a plastic or metal material, andincludes a pair of opposed heads 220 formed at both ends thereof to havea diameter larger than that of a through-hole of an engagement part 110,and a rod-like body 210 having a length larger than that of theengagement part 110. The pin member 200 is formed in a shape similar toan hourglass-shaped drum.

The head 220 is formed in a generally spherical shape so that the headcan be fittingly inserted into a through-hole 112 of the engagement part110 in a press-fit manner, and can be the rod-like body 210 can becoupled to a through-passage of the engagement part 110 through thethrough-hole 112. As such, after the pin member is coupled to theengagement part 110, the pin member does no escape from the engagementpart 110 only by a force applied the shoe when a user is walking, andthus the pin member can be prevented from being lost.

Thus, the engagement part 110 of the band member 100 is firstinsertingly engaged in the shoelace hole 520 and then the pin member 200is coupled so that fixation is completed. Since the rod-like body 210has a length larger than that of the engagement part 110, the pin member200 can have a spare length enough to be movable to the left and right.In addition, since the head 220 is formed in an oval shape like a lugbyball, it does not press the top side of a user's foot, thus leading toan improvement in a wearing feeling.

In the meantime, as shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the band member may beimplemented in various shapes.

In other words, when a user puts on/off his or her shoes, the bandmember is stretched to a great extent and simultaneously an excessiveforce is applied to the engagement parts 110 at both ends of the handmember, thus resulting in a damage or deformation of the pin member 200.

In order to complement this problem, there is a need for the band member100 having a structure in which an intermediate portion of the bandmember 100 can be stretched to a great extent and durability of theengagement part at both ends of the band member can be increased byminimizing an extent to which both ends thereof is stretched.

As shown in FIG. 11, the band member 100 a includes a corrugated part 2formed at the intermediate portion thereof so that when the band member100 a is stretched, the corrugated part 2 is spread out and a forceapplied to the both ends of the band member can be minimized.

As shown in FIG. 12, the band member 100 b includes a thick bent part 31formed at both ends thereof and a thin recessed part 3 formed at anintermediate portion thereof so that when the band member 100 b isstretched, the recessed part 3 can be extended to a great extent and aforce applied to the bent part 31 can be minimized.

As shown in FIG. 13, the band member 100 c includes a thick bent part31′ formed at both ends thereof and a thin recessed part 3′ formed at anintermediate portion thereof, the recessed part 3′ having a thick step32 formed at both edges thereof.

Thus, when the band member 100 is stretched, the recessed part 3′ can beextended to a great extent and a force applied to the bent part 31′ atboth ends of the band member can be minimized.

In addition, the engagement part 110 includes a convex part 119convexingly protruded from the outer periphery of one side thereof sothat the engagement part 110 can be easily fittingly inserted into theshoelace hole.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 14 to 23, a footwear fastening structure A5according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention is configuredsuch that it is applied to a shoe or sports shoe so as to fasten theshoe or the sports shoe tightly on a user's foot S when he or she wearsthe shoe, the footwear fastening structure including: a band member 10formed to have a predetermined length and flexibility; and a pair ofopposed stopper members 30 vertically formed at both ends of the bandmember 100 in such a manner as to be protruded upwardly and downwardly.

The band member 10 is formed to have a predetermined length using amaterial which is flexible and harmful to the human body such as rubberor silicon. The band member 100 can be largely divided into a rod shapeand a strip shape depending on the kind of the shoe S.

In other words, an elongated rod-like band member is applied to shoes,and a strip-like band member having a predetermined width is applied tosports shoes.

In the embodiments of the present invention, an example of thestrip-like band member will be described.

The band member 10 includes a recess 104 lengthily formed at astretchable section thereof.

Thus, the thin recess 104 is formed at an intermediate portion of theband member 10 so that when the band member 10 is stretched, theintermediate portion thereof can be expanded to a great extent and aforce applied to an inclined part 20 at both ends of the band member canbe minimized.

The band member 10 includes bending grooves 25 formed on the top andbottom surfaces of both sides thereof so as to allow the band member tobe easily bent upwardly and downwardly so that the stopper member 30 canbe easily bent (see FIG. 22).

The stopper member 30 is integrally formed at both sides of the bandmember 10. The stopper member 30 is generally formed in an ellipticalshape having a major axis and a minor axis. The major axis is arrangedvertically and the stopper member is formed in an ovate shape or aninverted droplet sharp shape which is gradually sharpened toward thebottom from the top.

Inclined parts 20 are formed between both ends of the band member 10 andthe stopper members 30 so as to facilitate insertion of the stoppermembers 30 into the shoelace tying holes H.

The inclined parts 20 are formed slantly downwardly from both ends ofthe band member 10 in such a manner as to be reduced in width toward thebottom from the top so that the width of a distal end of the inclinedpart 20, i.e., a portion of the inclined part 20, which is connected tothe stopper member 30 is set to be equal to or slightly smaller than adiameter l of the shoelace tying hole H.

The inclined part 20 and the stopper member 30 have various connectionpositions.

As one example, the inclined part 20 is connected to a central portionof the stopper member 30 so that an upper length h1 of the stoppermember 30 and a lower length h2 of the stopper member 30 are set to beequal to each other based on the connected portion (see FIG. 16).

In addition, the inclined part 20 is connected to an upper portion ofthe stopper member 30 so that the lower length h2 of the stopper member30 is set to be larger than the upper length h1 of the stopper member 30based on the connected portion (see FIG. 17).

Further, the inclined part 20 is connected to a lower portion of thestopper member 30 so that the upper length h1 of the stopper member 30is set to be larger than the lower length h2 of the stopper member 30based on the connected portion (see FIG. 18).

Of course, it is to be noted that the connection position between theinclined part 20 and the stopper member 30 may be modified in variousmanners, if necessary.

In meantime, referring to FIG. 14, the stopper members 30 are lengthilyformed in a vertical direction at both ends of the band member 10, andhave a flat plate shape having a uniform thickness. A major axis lengthL1 of the stopper members 30 is set to be larger than a diameter of ageneral shoelace tying hole H.

Thus, the stopper member 30 passes through the shoelace tying hole H andthen is laid down by being pressed against the top side of a user'sfoot, and both ends of the stopper member 30 are hooked to the outsideof the shoelace tying hole H to exhibit a fixing force.

In addition, the stopper member 30 formed in a generally ovate shapewhen viewed from the front, and it is gradually sharpened toward thebottom from the top. The upper and lower portions of the stopper member30 are uniform in the thickness, and the minor axis length L2 of thecentral portion of the stopper member 30 is set to be larger than thediameter of the shoelace tying hole H.

Thus, since both ends of the stopper member 30, i.e., an upper end and alower end of the stopper member 30 on the drawing sheet are formed in around shape, the stopper member 30 can easily pass through the shoelacetying hole H. In particular, the width L1 of the central portion ofstopper member 30 is set to be larger than the diameter l of theshoelace tying hole H so that the stopper member 30 can be maintained inan engagement state without escaping from the shoelace tying hole Hafter insertion of the stopper member 30 into the shoelace tying hole H.In addition, the outer surface of the stopper member 30 is formed in aflat plate shape. Thus, although the stopper member 30 touches the topside of the user's foot, no stimulus is given to the user's foot and heor she does not get a wound.

The minor axis length L2 of the central portion of the stopper member 30is set to be larger than the diameter of the shoelace tying hole H sothat the stopper member 30 is pressed at both sides thereof and isinserted into the shoelace tying hole H in an arcuately narrowed shape.After insertion the stopper member 30 into the shoelace tying hole H,the stopper member 30 is widened laterally beyond the width of theshoelace tying hole H by an elastic restoring force, thus leading to ahooked state.

In the meantime, as shown in FIG. 15, the stopper member 30 includes agrasping part 36 of a predetermined length formed at both ends or oneend thereof in such a manner as to be sharpened toward the outside.

The grasping part 36 is formed lengthily so as to be easily grasped by auser's hands. Thus, the grasping part 36 can be a guide means which isfirst passed through the shoelace tying hole H and then is pulled froman opposite side so that the stopper member 30 can pass through andengage in the shoelace tying hole H.

The grasping part 36 is subjected to surface roughness so that the usercan easily grip the grasping part 36 with his or her fingers. Further,when the user grips the grasping part 36 with his or her fingers, thegrasping part 36 is prevented from slipping from the user's fingers,thereby improving convenience in use.

In the meantime, FIG. 22 shows side views of an engagement process of afootwear fastening structure A6-2 according to another example of asixth embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 22, the footwear fastening structure A6-2 includes: aband member 10 formed to have a predetermined length and flexibility; apair of opposed stopper members 30 vertically formed at both ends of theband member 10 in such a manner as to be protruded upwardly anddownwardly; and a pair opposed inclined parts 20 slantly downwardlyformed between both ends of the band member 10 and the stopper members30, each of the inclined parts having a bending groove 25 formed on anunderside thereof.

Thus, the grasping part 36 is first inserted into the shoelace tyinghole H (FIG. 22(a)) and then is bent inwardly from the shoelace tyinghole H (FIG. 22(b)) to cause the stopper member 30 to be laid downhorizontally, thus leading to a state in which the stopper member 30 ishooked to the shoelace tying hole H (FIG. 22(c)).

In this case, the bending grooves 25 can further facilitate the bendingoperation of the inclined parts 20.

In the meantime, FIG. 23 shows side views of an engagement process of afootwear fastening structure A6-3 according to still another example ofa sixth embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 23, the footwear fastening structure A6-3 includes: aband member 10 formed to have a predetermined length and flexibility;and a pair of opposed stopper members 30 vertically formed at both endsof the band member 10 in such a manner as to be protruded upwardly anddownwardly, each of the stopper member 30 including a pair of opposedgrasping parts 36 a and 36 b of a predetermined length, which aresymmetrically formed at both ends thereof.

The band member 10 includes a pair of bending grooves 19 formed on thetop surfaces and the undersides of both sides so as to allow the bandmember 10 to be easily bent downwardly and upwardly.

The band member 10 may include a thick bent part formed at both endsthereof and a thin recessed part formed at an intermediate portionthereof (see FIG. 12).

The stopper member 30 is formed lengthily vertically in an ellipticalshape, and includes grasping parts 36 a and 36 b vertically protruded atthe upper end and the lower end thereof to have a predetermined length.

The grasping parts 36 a and 36 b are formed in an elongated rod shape soas to be stretched easily, and have elasticity so that the graspingparts 36 a and 36 b can return to their original states.

The grasping parts 36 a and 36 b can be easily bent upwardly anddownwardly by the bending grooves 19 formed at both sides of the bandmember 10.

In other words, the grasping parts 36 a and 36 b may be pulled upwardlyor downwardly so as to be engagingly inserted into the shoelace tyinghole H.

For example, the grasping part 36 a or the grasping part 36 b isinserted into the shoelace tying hole H (FIG. 23(a)) and then is bentdownwardly from the shoelace tying hole H (FIG. 23(b)) to cause thestopper member 30 to be laid down horizontally, thus leading to a statein which the stopper member 30 is hooked to the shoelace tying hole H(FIG. 23(c)).

In addition, the grasping part 36 a or the grasping part 36 b isinserted into the shoelace tying hole H (FIG. 23(a)) and then is bentupwardly from the shoelace tying hole H (FIG. 23(d)) to cause thestopper member 30 to be laid down horizontally, thus leading to a statein which the stopper member 30 is hooked to the shoelace tying hole H(FIG. 23(e)).

In the meantime, as shown FIGS. 24 to 32, the footwear fasteningstructures A7 and A8 according to a seventh embodiment and an eighthembodiment of the present invention is configured such that it isapplied to a shoe or sports shoe so as to fasten the shoe or the sportsshoe tightly on a user's foot S when he or she wears the shoe, thefootwear fastening structure including: a band member 10 formed to havea predetermined length and flexibility; a pair of opposed stoppermembers 30 vertically protrudingly formed at both ends of the bandmember 10 so as to be inserted into and hookingly fixed to the shoelaceholes H of the shoe S; and a pair of opposed grasping part 40 formed atone ends of the stopper members 30 so as to allow a user to pull theband member 10 therethrough.

The stopper members 30 are integrally formed at both sides of the bandmember 10, and the stopper member 30 is formed in a flat plate shape.Thus, the stopper member 30 is configured such that although it istouches the top side of the user's foot, no stimulus is given to theuser's foot and he or she does not get a wound.

The stopper members 30 are protrudingly formed vertically at both endsof the band member 10 such that each of the stopper members 30 includesa fitting stopper 32 formed lengthily at a lower portion thereof so asto allow one side of the stopper member 30 based on the band member 10to be easily inserted into the shoelace tying hole, and a stopper 31formed at an upper portion thereof in such a manner that the outersurface the stopper 31 is formed in a round shape.

The fitting stopper 32 is disposed at a lower side of the stopper member30 and the stopper is disposed at an upper side of the stopper member30. The fitting stopper 32 and the stopper 31 are inserted into theshoelace tying hole H and then are bent vertically to be maintained in astate of being juxtaposed with the band member 10 so that the stoppermember 30 is hooked to the shoelace tying hole H.

The band member 10 and the stopper member 30 are made of a siliconmaterial having the same flexibility.

The width of the stopper member 30 is set to be equal to that of theband member 10. The fitting stopper 32 is formed in a shape which isgradually reduced in width toward the outside and a distal end of thefitting stopper 32 is generally formed in an arrowhead shape to have awidth smaller than the inner diameter of the shoelace tying hole H.

The stopper 31 has the same width as that of the band member 10 and anouter end thereof is formed in a round shape so that when the stopper 31is viewed from the front together with the fitting stopper 32, the outerappearance of the stopper member appears like an exclamation mark.

The stopper member 30 further includes a reinforcing member 50 made of ametal or resin material disposed therein.

The reinforcing member 50 disposed in the stopper member 30 is formed ina pin shape or a plate shape.

The grasping part 40 of the stopper member 30 is formed in a shape whichis gradually sharpened toward one side from the other side

The grasping part 40 includes a plurality of slipping preventionprotrusion 41 formed at one side or both sides thereof so as to preventthe stopper member from being slipping in a direction of pulling theband member 10.

The band member 10 includes a recess 11 formed at one side, i.e., astretchable section thereof to perform a smooth stretching operation.The recess 11 is formed to have a thickness smaller than that of bothends of the band member 10, which are hooked to the shoelace tying holesH, i.e., half the thickness of both ends of the band member 10.

A pair of opposed inclined parts 20 are formed between both ends of theband member 10 and the stopper members 30 so as to facilitate theinsertion of the stopper member 20 into the shoelace tying holes H.

The engagement of the footwear fastening structure of the presentinvention as constructed above will be described hereinafter.

First, the fitting stopper 32 of the stopper member 30 is inserted intothe shoelace tying hole H of the shoe S. In this case, since the fittingstopper 32 is formed in an arrowhead shape, it can be easily insertedinto the shoelace tying hole H.

Since the reinforcing member 50 is disposed in the stopper member 30 ina direction where the fitting stopper 32 is inserted, the stopper member30 made of a silicon material can be easily inserted into the withoutbeing deformed.

In a state in which a distal end of the fitting stopper 32 passesthrough the shoelace tying hole H, the fitting stopper 32 protruded atan opposite side of the shoelace tying hole H, i.e., the grasping part40 is pulled. In this case, the grasping part 40 is pulled at one timewithout slipping by the slipping prevention protrusion 41 so that thestopper member 30 can be fittingly inserted into the shoelace tying holeH.

Thereafter, the stopper member 30 is maintained in a state of beingjuxtaposedly oriented in parallel with the band member 10 while beingnaturally bent inwardly by the inclined part 20 to form a right anglewith the shoelace tying hole H so that the stopper member 30 ismaintained in a state of not escaping easily from the shoelace tyinghole H, thereby preventing the stopper member 30 from being disengagedin the shoelace tying hole H.

According to the present invention, a user can tie the footwearfastening structure to shoes in a rapid and convenient manner inreplacement of a shoelace. In addition, the footwear fastening structureof the present invention is formed in various shapes, and thus can beused depending on the user's taste.

While the present invention has been described in connection with thespecific embodiments illustrated in the drawings, they are merelyillustrative, and the invention is not limited to these embodiments. Itis to be understood that various equivalent modifications and variationsof the embodiments can be made by a person having an ordinary skill inthe art without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentinvention. Therefore, the true technical scope of the present inventionshould not be defined by the above-mentioned embodiments but should bedefined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A footwear fastening structure configured suchthat it is tieably engaged in shoelace holes or eyelets of a shoe orsports shoe so as to fasten the shoe or the sports shoe tightly on auser's foot when he or she wears the shoe, the footwear fasteningstructure comprising: a band member formed to have a predeterminedlength and having a pair of opposed engagement parts respectively formedat both ends thereof; and a pair of opposed pin members coupled to theengagement parts of the band member so as to be inserted into andhookingly fixed to the shoelace holes of the shoe, wherein the pinmembers are movable to the left and right.
 2. The footwear fasteningstructure according to claim 1, wherein each of the engagement partscomprises through-holes respectively formed at both ends thereof and athrough-passage formed therein to interconnect the through-holes, andthe pin member is coupled to the engagement part in such a manner as topass through the through-holes and the through-passage of the engagementpart.
 3. The footwear fastening structure according to claim 2, whereinthe pin member comprises a pair of opposed heads formed at both endsthereof to have a diameter larger than that of the through-hole of theengagement part, and a rod-like body having a length larger than that ofthe engagement part.
 4. The footwear fastening structure according toclaim 3, wherein the rod-like body comprises a first annular protrusionand a second annular protrusion formed on the outer peripheral surfacethereof to correspond to both ends of the engagement part in such amanner as to be spaced apart from each other by a predeterminedinterval.
 5. The footwear fastening structure according to claim 2,wherein the pin member comprises a head formed at one end thereof tohave a diameter larger than that of the through-passage of theengagement part, a rod-like body having a length larger than that of theengagement part, and a stop element coupled to the other end thereof. 6.The footwear fastening structure according to claim 1, wherein the bandmember comprises a corrugated part formed at the intermediate portionthereof.
 7. The footwear fastening structure according to claim 1,wherein the band member comprises a thick bent part formed at both endsthereof and a thin recessed part formed at an intermediate portionthereof.
 8. A footwear fastening structure configured such that it istieably engaged at both ends thereof in a pair of opposed shoelace holesor eyelets symmetrically formed on an upper of a shoe or sports shoe soas to fasten the shoe or the sports shoe tightly on a user's foot whenhe or she wears the shoe, the footwear fastening structure comprising: aband member formed of a flexible material having elasticity and bent atboth ends thereof in one direction in such a manner as to be reduced inwidth toward distal ends to form narrow portions; and a pair of opposedpin members coupled to the narrow portions of the band member so as tobe hookingly fixed to the lower portions of the shoelace holes of theshoe and brought into close contact with a top portion of the upper ofthe shoe to prevent the footwear fastening structure from escaping fromthe shoe.
 9. The footwear fastening structure according to claim 8,wherein engagement parts are formed at ends of the narrow portions,wherein each of the engagement parts comprises through-holesrespectively formed at both ends thereof and a through-passagehorizontally formed therein to interconnect the through-holes, andwherein the pin member is coupled to the engagement part in such amanner as to pass through the through-holes and the through-passage ofthe engagement part.
 10. The footwear fastening structure according toclaim 9, wherein the engagement part is formed in an ellipticalspherical shape or a cylindrical shape, and has a length that is largerthan a diameter of the shoelace hole.
 11. The footwear fasteningstructure according to claim 8, wherein the pin member comprises a pairof opposed heads formed at both ends thereof to have a diameter largerthan that of the through-hole, and a rod-like body having a lengthlarger than that of an engagement part so as to be movable to the leftand right.
 12. The footwear fastening structure according to claim 8,wherein the band member comprises a corrugated part formed at theintermediate portion thereof.
 13. The footwear fastening structureaccording to claim 1, wherein the band member comprises a thick bentpart formed at both ends thereof and a thin recessed part formed at anintermediate portion thereof.
 14. The footwear fastening structureaccording to claim 8, wherein the band member comprises a thick bentpart formed at both ends thereof and a thin recessed part formed at anintermediate portion thereof, the recessed part having a thick stepformed at both edge ends thereof.
 15. A footwear fastening structureconfigured such that it is applied to a shoe or sports shoe so as tofasten the shoe or the sports shoe tightly on a user's foot when he orshe wears the shoe, the footwear fastening structure comprising: a bandmember formed to have a predetermined length and flexibility; and a pairof opposed stopper members vertically formed at both ends of the bandmember in such a manner as to be protruded upwardly and downwardly. 16.The footwear fastening structure according to claim 15, wherein inclinedparts are formed between both ends of the band member and the stoppermembers, and wherein the inclined parts are formed slantly downwardlyfrom both ends of the band member in such a manner as to be reduced inwidth toward the bottom from the top.
 17. The footwear fasteningstructure according to claim 15, wherein the stopper member comprises agrasping part of a predetermined length, which is formed at one end orboth ends thereof.
 18. The footwear fastening structure according toclaim 16, wherein the inclined part comprises a bending groove formed onan underside thereof.
 19. The footwear fastening structure according toclaim 15, wherein the band member includes a recess formed at astretchable section thereof.
 20. A footwear fastening structureconfigured such that it is applied to a shoe or sports shoe so as tofasten the shoe or the sports shoe tightly on a user's foot when he orshe wears the shoe, the footwear fastening structure comprising: a bandmember formed to have a predetermined length and flexibility; a pair ofopposed stopper members vertically protrudingly formed at both ends ofthe band member so as to be inserted into and hookingly fixed to theshoelace holes of the shoe; and a pair of opposed grasping part formedat one ends of the stopper members so as to allow a user to pull theband member therethrough.
 21. The footwear fastening structure accordingto claim 20, wherein each of the stopper members comprises a stopperformed at an upper portion thereof in such a manner that the outersurface the stopper is formed in a round shape, and a fitting stopperformed at a lower portion thereof so as to be inserted into the shoelacetying hole.
 22. The footwear fastening structure according to claim 20,wherein the stopper member further comprises a reinforcing member madeof a metal or resin material disposed therein.
 23. The footwearfastening structure according to claim 20, wherein inclined parts areformed between both ends of the band member and the stopper members. 24.The footwear fastening structure according to claim 20 wherein the bandmember is formed of a soft material with high flexibility, and thestopper member is formed of a hard material with low flexibility so thatthe band member and the stopper member are formed integrally with eachother in a double-shot injection manner.
 25. The footwear fasteningstructure according to claim 20, wherein the grasping part comprises aplurality of slipping prevention protrusion formed at one side or bothsides thereof.
 26. The footwear fastening structure according to claim20, wherein the band member includes a recess formed at a stretchablesection thereof.
 27. The footwear fastening structure according to claim19, wherein the band member comprises a thick bent part formed at bothends thereof and a thin recessed part formed at an intermediate portionthereof.
 28. The footwear fastening structure according to claim 20,wherein the band member comprises bending grooves formed on the top andbottom surfaces of both sides thereof so as to allow the band member tobe easily bent upwardly or downwardly.